Reid supports public option! Just so long as it's private and ... wait, what?

"I am in favor of the public option," Sen. Harry Reid proclaimed -- twice! -- during an extended telemarketing session from a call center in Reno Friday.

Well, that was easy enough.

Or it would be, except with Harry, well, it never is:

 "We're going to have a private insurance system when we finish all this. But what we need, is to make sure we have a way of keeping the insurance companies honest.

And what would that be? It would be a public option. Remember that word: option. Public option.

And we're working now to come up with a program that would allow that to take place. There's a lot of people who misunderstand this. They think it's some government program. But there are many ways we can do it. One would be to have an entity like Medicare. I really don't favor that. I think what we should have is a private entity that is, that has direction from the federal government, so that people who don't fall within the parameters of being able to get insurance from their employer, they would have a place to go."

Umm, okay, err, ... WTF!?! Reid must have seen one of those mailers from Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele declaring that a co-op plan was the same as a public option, and believed it.

The public option issue came up again at the end of the call when a question from KLAS anchor Paula Francis, who moonlights as a citizen and a Democrat, elicited what could have been Reid's strongest public endorsement of the public option ever.

First, Reid had to explain that people would have to pay premiums. "It's not a program set up for people who are losers," the senator said, continuing his long tradition of taking the loser vote for granted in an offensive expression of callous elitism that would be an unbecoming thing to say even during a week when Ted Kennedy didn't die.

But then he added...

"If we don't do the public option, everyone will just fall within the exchange, and be at the total mercy of the insurance industry, and that's why we need a public option."

And ideally it will be ... private?

Told ya he was going to make everything crystal clear!

Comments

[Douglas Democrat]

Is "Give Him Hell Harry" writing his speeches on a Möbius strip now?

[Nevada Ned]

The "public option" is NOT a cure for what ails the US healthcare system. Harvard's Dr. David Himmelstein explain it to former New York Time reporter Chris Hedges.

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/24-1

[My Left Nutjob]

I'd be concerned about Reid's position on this, if he had one.

[dave404]

Reid states what it means to be all things to all people during one's election cycle. Somebody better order him a C-collar that will be comfortable enough for him to wear for the next 14 months. It's going to be a bumpy ride!

[jacksmith]

NO CO-OP'S! A Little History Lesson

Young People. America needs your help.

More than two thirds of the American people want a single payer health care system. And if they cant have a single payer system 77% of all Americans want a strong government-run public option on day one (86% of democrats, 75% of independents, and 72% of republicans). Basically everyone.

According to a new AARP POLL: 86 percent of seniors want universal healthcare security for All, including 93% of Democrats, 87% of Independents, and 78% of Republicans. And 79% of seniors support creating a new strong Government-run public option plan, available immediately. Including 89% of Democrats, 80% of Independents, and 61% of Republicans, STUNNING!! Senator Max Baucus, You better come out of committee with a strong government-run public option available on day one.

The History:

Our last great economic catastrophe was called the Great Depression. Then as now it was caused by a reckless, and corrupt Republican administration and republican congress. FDR a Democrat, was then elected to save the nation and the American people from the unbridled GREED and profiteering, of the unregulated predatory self-interest of the banking industry and Wallstreet. Just like now.

FDR proposed a Government-run health insurance plan to go with Social Security. To assure all Americans high quality, easily accessible, affordable, National Healthcare security. Regardless of where you lived, worked, or your ability to pay. But the AMA riled against it. Using all manor of scare tactics, like Calling it SOCIALIZED MEDICINE!! :-0

So FDR established thousands of co-op's around the country in rural America. And all of them failed. The biggest of these co-op organizations would become the grandfather of the predatory monster that all of you know today as the DISGRACEFUL GREED DRIVEN PRIVATE FOR PROFIT health insurance industry. And the DISGRACEFUL GREED DRIVEN PRIVATE FOR PROFIT healthcare industry.

This former co-op would grow so powerful that it would corrupt every aspect of healthcare delivery in America. Even corrupting the Government of the United States.

This former co-op's name is BLUE CROSS/BLUE SHIELD.

Do you see now why even the suggestion of co-op's is ridiculous. It makes me so ANGRY! Co-op's are not a substitute for a government-run public option.

They are trying to pull the wool over our eye's again. Senators, if you don't have the votes now, GET THEM! Or turn them over to us. WE WILL! DEAL WITH THEM. Why do you think we gave your party Control of the House, Control of the Senate, Control of the Whitehouse. The only option on the table that has any chance of fixing our healthcare crisis is a STRONG GOVERNMENT-RUN PUBLIC OPTION.

An insurance mandate and subsidies without a strong government-run public option choice available on day one, would be worse than the healthcare catastrophe we have now. The insurance, and healthcare industry have been very successful at exploiting the good hearts of the American people. But Congress and the president must not let that happen this time. House Progressives and members of the Tri-caucus must continue to hold firm on their demand for a strong Government-run public option.

A healthcare reform bill with mandates and subsidies but without a STRONG government-run public option choice on day one, would be much worse than NO healthcare reform at all. So you must be strong and KILL IT! if you have too. And let the chips fall where they may. You can do insurance reform without mandates, subsidies, or taxpayer expense.

Actually, no tax payer funds should be use to subsidize any private for profit insurance plans. So, NO TAX PAYER SUBSIDIES TO PRIVATE FOR PROFIT PLANS. Tax payer funds should only be used to subsidize the public plans. Healthcare reform should be 100% for the American people. Not another taxpayer bailout of the private for profit insurance industry, disguised as healthcare reform for the people.

God Bless You

Jacksmith — Working Class

Twitter search #welovetheNHS #NHS Check it out

(http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/25/why-markets-cant-cure-healthcare/)

Senator Bernie Sanders on healthcare (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSM8t_cLZgk&feature=player_embedded)

American HEROES!! :-) Click replay to play http://bit.ly/j31oU

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbWw23XwO5o) CYBER WARRIORS!! - TAKE THIS VIRAL

[dave404]

as an aside to jacksmith's comments, above, the AMA proposed universal health care in 1913. I guess they were for it before they were against it.

[Goldy]

Aren't we simply postponing the inevitable? This debate on health care would make more sense if we were vampires, but no one I know gets out of this thing alive except, Bill Raggio.

In fact, times are tough. I will sell my organs to you health care obsessed liberals:

FOR SALE
-1 gently-used liver;
-2 kidneys with some signs of wear;
-1 pancreas said to be the pancreas of a 16 year old;
-1 broken heart;
-1 brain, extra small and stored in alcohol;
-1 like-new male organ.

Will take PayPal. See my Feedback. Many happy customers!

[David McKee]

As someone who's currently without dental insurance, it's nice to know that Sen. Reid considers me a "loser." Right back at you, senator.

[Edna]

and you'll still all vote democrat rather than throwing their asses out, so who are we kidding?

[Scorpiogal]

@MLN
Tru dat. 45 minutes into the teletownhall I had to bail. Just listening to the callers repeatedly ask questions Reid had already tried to answer made me want to set myself on fire and run through a meth-lab. Cheezus Crisp...painful.